History of NorthWood

History of NorthWood

In 1962 the towns of Wakarusa and Nappanee joined to form the Wa-Nee Community Schools. Then came the decisions of whether to have two separate high schools or combine to form one. After a few years of collaborating, the towns decided that a new high school would be beneficial for the entire school community.

In 1968, the construction of the high school began. Along with the new building came the need for a school name. The name NorthWood was chosen to represent both Nappanee and Wakarusa; hence, the “N” and “W” are both capitalized in NorthWood. In September of 1970, the first students were enrolled at the new high school.

Our current school enrollment is approximately 900 students in grades 9 through 12. There are 53 faculty instructors that represents all age groups. Approximately 30 percent of the teachers have 5 or less years, 50 percent have 6-20 years and 20 percent have more than 20 years of service.

NorthWood High School has been named a 4-star school five years in a row. We have also earned a Indiana Best Buy School Head of the Class award twice. In 2007, the Indiana State Department of Education named NWHS an Exemplary School. NorthWood students consistently score in the top 50 high schools in Indiana as determined by the 10th grade GQE test. These students score above the state and national average on the SAT and 60 percent of the graduates attend post-secondary schools. Over sixty percent of the student body participates in some form of extra-curricular activities. Athletically, NorthWood is a member of the Northern Lakes Conference and is very competitive in IHSAA and conference contests. Our instrumental and vocal music students are equally active in ISSMA contests and have experienced a great deal of success.